


Custody Battle

by aliceinsunnydale



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Bickering, Canon Tie-in, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6840643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliceinsunnydale/pseuds/aliceinsunnydale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for ponyridesanddarkness on tumblr.<br/>Before the events of Why We Fight.<br/>“Sneaky bastards, the S.S. Don’t ever go to a “free virgin blood" party. Turns out it’s probably a trap.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Custody Battle

_Madrid, 1943_

“She’s not a bleedin’ dog. You can’t just put her between us and see who she goes to.”  
“Of course I can. Dru, honey, you want to come with me, don’t you?”

Darla stood as far away from Spike as possible. Their icy glares stared each other down, neither one of them willing to blink first. Drusilla swayed airily between them, seemingly oblivious to the custody battle that was going on around her.

Her _daddy_ had been gone for about 43 years now and her head had been singing, screaming ever since. Darla had left her too, after China. Her grandsire had disappeared at the same time that Angelus had. Spike assumed that they had both taken off together but Drusilla knew better. She knew that Darla would never see daddy again, not really. 

“Dru, pay attention.” Darla’s voice was shrill and her foot tapped with impatience. Drusilla remained where she was, clutching at the shawl draped around her shoulders as visions danced in front of her eyes.

“Oh yeah, that’s the way to get her to stay with you. You know, Darla, I would expect this from Angelus but I never thought you’d be such an idio-” He was cut off by the older vampire’s sharp glare and he took a step closer, his hand outstretched to his dark, wicked, goddess. 

“C’mon, ducks, I’ll take you somewhere nice. They’ve had all those bombings in Rome – bound to be some carnage to be had there.”

Drusilla’s eyes glittered and for the first time since Darla had arrived to take her away, the seer spoke aloud. “Oooh, bombings.”

A smug smile plastered itself to Spike’s face though Darla was sure she didn’t know why. He had far from won. She always had ways of getting what she wanted. Really, _he_ was the idiot for not realizing that. For now she acquiesced. She moved towards Drusilla and took her hand without waiting for permission. She had rather less concern for the girl’s consent than Spike.

“Fine, Dru, you and Spike can go and have your fun in Rome but stay with me at least for tonight.”

A shift happened in an instant and Drusilla was on her knees, wailing as her nails dug harshly into the back of Darla’s hand, drawing blood. Her other hand tore at her own hair and Spike was quickly by her side. His arms wrapped around his princess in an attempt to calm her as Darla growled and tugged sharply in an attempt to pry her pierced hand away. Neither were successful. Drusilla continued to cry as her claws hooked into Darla. She knew it would be the last time she saw her, in this life anyway.

It was nearly a half hour until the hysterical vampire finally calmed enough to be reasoned with. It wasn’t an excessively long bout; Spike had dealt with much worse in the decades since Angelus had mysteriously disappeared. But it seemed to last forever due to Darla’s impatient whining. Finally when Drusilla’s sobs and Darla’s gripes had both quieted Spike looked up at Darla from his position next to Dru on the floor.

“Perhaps we _should_ stay ‘ere. Jus’ until tomorrow night o’course.” Darla’s smugly raised eyebrow was enough to make him regret his decision but he didn’t have time to take it back before Drusilla was standing and murmuring.

“You’ll leave tomorrow night, sweet Spike. The fish call you with their pretty lies, prince of lies, the lies of angel’s eyes.” Spike stood with her, supporting her as Darla finally withdrew her hand. 

“Yeah, pet, we’ll both leave tomorrow night and we can drive along the coast, through France, to Rome. You can talk to all the fish you like.” That wasn’t what she meant but Drusilla nodded anyway, turning more attention to Darla as her and Spike were led to whatever home-on-a-hill-with-a-view Darla had procured for herself.

Drusilla slept fitfully through the daylight hours but had finally succumbed to a deep sleep just before sunset. Spike watched his sleeping beauty with a sigh, perhaps they would have to stay with Darla until tomorrow night after all. Thinking of Darla made him realize that she wasn’t there with them. The eldest member of their family was hardly ever the first to rise, unless she was planning something.

Spike found her sitting innocuously in the kitchen, reading the evening paper. The previous owner of the house was bound, gagged, and whimpering in the corner, very nearly drained. Spike was hungry but the poor sod hardly looked appetizing. Without looking up from the latest news of the war Darla held out a neatly printed invitation towards him. Spike took a step forward but didn’t move to take it. “What’s tha’?”

Darla’s eyes finally rose. “It’s an invitation to a virgin blood party. Held by the S.S. but it’s better than most of the starving victims of war you’re likely to find around here.”

Spike was wary but he took the invitation from her and eyed it carefully. His stomach grumbled at the phantom taste of virgin on his tongue. His mouth fell open to ask what Darla was going to do for food but he was suddenly overcome with how little he cared. Without another word he turned sharply to head to the address given on the invitation.

Darla’s attention had returned to the newspaper in front of her but when she heard the door shut behind Spike she smiled to herself. She always had ways of getting what she wanted.


End file.
